Wild Garlic / Onion

May 1, 2016

I planted garlic for the first time this year. I planted it in October and it has done great all winter and still looks great. My question is when do I harvest it?  The leaves are full and grassy like and dark green, but I don’t know if I should pull it and eat it now, or wait for it to bloom like I see my onions doing. 

For fall planted garlic you normally harvest the garlic when the leaves begin to die back, which will occur in late June or July.  This means the garlic is mature and will store well after harvest.  If you have planted quite a few, you can harvest a few plants and use them as green garlic.  If you are growing hardneck cultivars and they send up a flower stalk, you can also harvest those and use them like you would green onions.  If you have planted more than you can use quickly, store them like you would dry onions in a cool dry area with good air circulation.  You can also braid the tops together and hang in your kitchen and take a bulb as needed. 

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